Hydraulic gas compressor



Aug. c JOHNSON ETAL HYDRAULIC GAS comrmasson Filed April 22, 1944 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 4T TORNEYS wflaaw s a v v "YWW q'c; JOHNSON ET L {HYDRAULIC GAS, COMPRESSOR j'Fi l e'd April 22; 1 944 Aug. .14, 1945. K

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W g (Mia-n. INVENTORS ATTORNEYS 1 4 :s. c, JOHNSON EIAL' HYDRAULIC GAS COMPRESSOR Filed April 22; 1944 s sheets-sheet 3 ATTORNEYS f a hydraulic gas. compressing Patented Aug. 14, 1945 1 if if j 2 ,382,421 j f I HYDRAULICGAS COMPRESSOR Grover 0; Johnson an James w. nat'hawaafsi; 'Bufialm'N Y assignors to Buffalo Compressor and Air Conditioning Corporation, N Y., a; corporation of New York i applieationiaprii 22, 1944 ,'S eri al N 532.288 I L y v I l fi claims."(CL230 -105)" This invention, relatesl'to an apparatus for compressinggas, such as air, and more particularly, to an apparatus. ofthis character in which water is circulated, andL alternately lifted by power from a low ,altitudetoathighaltitude and permitted to drop by gravity from a highaltitude to a lowaltitude; and in which air orgas is entrained inand compressed by'the. falling Water and. the compressed airis separated from the; water preparatorytobeing again elevated duringreach cycleof operations. i 1 1 It is thezobject of this invention "to provide an improved compressorof this type whereby more air is entrained in; and compressed by a given amount of falling water andthe compressed air is separated from .the'water more rapidlylso as to increase the efliciency 'of =the apparatus to provide reliable and readily operable means for adjusting thepmechanism for ,entraining the air in the water as. best suits particular conditions under whichthe apparatus is operating.

In the accomp-anyingdrawings: l x i Fig. 1 is a yerticalsection; ona reducediscale,

apparatus embodying this invention. a"

Fig. 2 is a vertical. section the same; taken on line 2-2;Fig. 1. 1

Fig. 3 is 'a vertical section, on an enlarged scale, of the mechanismswhereby-the air is "entrained ina falling streamof'water in In the following/description the same reference characters indicate-like parts in the several figures of the drawings. l 1

. In its general organization-this gas-compressing apparatus comprises an elevated mixing: head or entraining .devicerwhereby air is entrained in water, lifting means whereby. water ishtaken from a supply source arranged "at an -inte'rmediate level and delivered to said entraining =device, a separating device arranged at a'lower level and adapted to receivehthe mixed" air and waterfrom said entrainingdevice" and separate them, and means for returning theair-free water from saidseparating device to saidliftinglmeans.

The water used-in thecperation'of-thiseappafi H v p f g 1 e 3 eil slower.pa tabe w he 9 0mm is arrangedwithinanupright 23 jwhichh a s its uppe end" 't eiw ter .r se vqi 1H r y-a p ar i ratus is preferablyv taken froma reservoir or, tank which isarrangedat the leve'l H of the ground,

or substantially;:so,-which is intermediatle the highest and lowest; altitudereached by: the=water as it c rculates durinse ch cycl ofaoper t onso t accordthe apparatus. From this ;reservoir the water is withdrawn by a pump, which maybeof suitable character and operated by any available power for; delivering the water to the lower. nd

,of anuptake or water. supply pipe 43. shown F 1 1, t e. lo er it nd, b h iuptake pi :closed andrestson abase l ,and ;from the up- 'p r n z s pine thewate is i red the mixing device whereby air- ;is entrained in-the water. i This mixingdevice; inthe preferred form shown. in the drawings is constructed as: follows: Abovethe uptake pipe isarrangedanintake head twhichtha an. upp r fin r ah e iv y body l 5 of considerably; larger diameter than the ,uptake pipe,-,and "a. lower water. intake ne ck l6 which together form the -.wallrof.anyair and water a intake; chamber. 3. This neck: is prefer- .ably of the same diameter: as the; uptake water pipe I3 and detachably connected vtherewith so as to practically form a part thereof Joy coupling flanges I1 securedtothe opposing ends ofathis peu c nd o nectediwith ea h o r bolts 18. The upper endofthis intakechamher is closed bya cover or. roof 1919 upwardly tapering ;fo rm andgaccess to ithe anterior oil-his chamber is aliordediby anppeningin. this cover which. is a normally closed by a. lid 12 0; hinged to .the cover, The air gtoptbe compressed is admitted to the u p i art o 1 the ntake. he d throu h a .pl a i ywqf ;ieloneetedwp n n s or s o s 2'. h c a e med nt -unperp a t t e o p ide wa o h sih n -a ra e gr up r d. esci cum r nce f s. body- Ra n is eve q ir men er nathe intak d Lth oueh th s l t by means o riser 9r s i l mi u wa dl an dow w rd qm the p d eo t esappemn aea es h wn inFig. 3...

i ic onde ieewh eby.wate t akn. omi hs owe mr 10 the ake be m i from he upper permit 1 h m a en i i y ausedd aw,

e e e a elli m xe wean d we- 5W id r u h a eomp s n td nieke p 22 so that the air is compressed this water from t ihii wnie i g tends through the. ase] m ximum thelower s p 2 11 .1 9. ewetknd T i ,dqwa a ni e e n-i m er urean margapernpart. arranged cent-rally wt in the uptake a ef le eh.w 31 3 9? 55 9 9.; der e of air and water to up Par e ur d me p n 4mi ettop 31 and connected-at; its lowerend with a sleev e A4 whichis secured in an opening 45min the marginal part of the conicalbottom 35. The, numeral ,45; s nts a uralit o a ust n posts ne o s which rotates in each of the bearing tubes 42 and is provided with antupwardly facin fi puldelfifl which engages with a downwardly facing internal shoulder formed between the respectivebear ing tube flandits sleeve 44 so thatithe induction head is supported on these posts andis caused to move vertically therewith upon raising and; lowering the posts. 'l 'hel lowerends of the adjusting posts are provided with screw threads and each engage? with a. screw nut '46 which is secured to the uppennostinduction ring 31. i 1 Each of the adjusting posts has its upper endprojecting above the upper end of the respective bearing tube and sothat the same is accessible for rotation. This is preferably eiiected by making the upper end of each adjusting post square as shown in Fi s. 3, and 5, 01; of any other desired forn so that the post can be turnedby a wrench or other tool. To prevent the posts from dropping out oflthe 'bearingfltubes when the, induction head is removed from the air and water intake chamber during erection, inspection or repairin each post is provided with a retainingpin 5 0 extending; across the 1 upper end of the respective bearing tube'and thus acting asjastoph e W Upon turning the a" justing posts in one direction the induetion head will be raised and increase the cross" sectional area of the conical induction passage 36 andtpermit a larger volume "flow downwardly through the same, but'when' th posts are; turned in the op l posite direction the induction head is permitted to descend by g avityfandgdecrease thisarea and i t v lu of a a ldwefi a ii u t e inductionpassag'e accordingly.

As owninth drawin the a iu i f'pqs must be turnediii v'i'dually butif desired these, posts maybe turnedziri unisoh'by any" suitable op crating mechanism. i ii 1 From the lower end of the com-pressionpip 22 the compressed air and "water arescparated by means which embodythis' invention and are constructed'asfollows i Y The numeral, Ii represents a. separating "tank having preferably the'jform offa horizontal cylinder which. is rranged underg ound the equis te; distancel" Thelower partof th interior of this separating tank iormis a waterchainber 52 [and the upper part thereof "an air chainberji 'Ifhe 7 lower end of the compression pipe 'ext'ends downwardly throliglithe top the separating adjacent to one end thereof landjcommunicates with one endof a discharge "pipe 54 arranged lengthwise in thelower' partf'of the "separating tank, as shown in Figfil; *Tneopposite end of the discharge pipe connects withthe lower small end] of an upwardly'flaring 'or' bell s-helped outlet 55; the large-upper end of which opens upwardly and is spaced from-thetop and sides of thes'ep z arating tank sothat themixed air'ahd water escapingfrom this outlet can spread out in-all directionsand thus: expedite the separation of the air and water in this '1 tank.- l'Ihe'sep'arated air accumulates in the upper part of :thetankhwhere it is stored in a compressed condition and is withdrawn therefrom 'for use wherever required by means of a delivery I pipe 65 which extends fromth'e upper part of ,this tank adjacehttoithe opposite end, thereof to, a, point above the level valve for controlling the discharge of comressed airltherefroma p. r -aThe waterwhich is separated from :the com; pressed airis returned fromlthe lower part of the separating tank to the ground level reservoir 10 by an upr ht r u n ipe hav n a a upp section 56 surrounding the downtake compression pipe 22 and communicating at its upper end with the lower part of the waterreservoir at oneend thereof, an dla lower section 51 extending from the lower end of the upper section 56 downwardly into the separating tank adjacent tothe compression pipe and terminates atits lower end 58, which is of downwardly flaring shape, short of the bottom of the separating tank; By means of the bell-shaped lower end of the return pipe the entrance of the water into the same is facilitated and the operationof circulating thewater fo reuse to compress air is expedited. a l i As the water passes from theknell-Sha d outlet 55 of the compression pipe through the, separating tank to the return pipe 5], 56 the same is come pelled to flow in a direct or straight path by means ,of a baflle which preferably consists of a from whirling or forming a vortexin the separate ing chamber or tank and thus cause the water to flow more rapidly through this part of :the

apparatusfor promoting the compression of air. The bottom of the separatingtank is preferably provided immediately belowthe return pipe sec-- sediment from the water is adapted to-collect.-

At intervals this sediment is agitatedby means of a jet of fcompressedair Which isfsupplied througha blow-off or agitating air pipe 63 extending downwardly fromlmabove t-thewground through, the return pipe 56, 5'1 and terminating atits lower end immediately above the sump 62- and provided at its upper end with a hand valve 6 4 for controlling the delivery of airfrom the air pipe63 toward thesump 1 l l t v By agitating the sediment in the sump the same is distributed in the water and prevented from clogging the smaller passages in the pump and th air induction devicathus making it unnecessary to interruptthe operation of the apparatus for thispurpose. Replenishing of the water to makeup for loss due to evaporationlor leakage can"v be effected easily by supplying the required water to the reservoir.

As the yvater is constantly pumped upwardly through the uptake pipe Whom the reservoir [0 to'the lintake head IS, the water in thelatter is maintainedat a temperature above the freezing point whereby the air in the air chamber 28 which issurrounded by the waterin the intake head is also maintained at a temperature above column of waterwhich surrounds the "same and m which? flows constantly upwardly through the water-uptake pipe I3.

--Although this; a par tu ismore tel cast adapted for :use in connection with a gas or air ving the cross sectional area of said passage comprising an induction head provided with a downwardly tapering bottom which projects into said mixing passage, a side wall projecting upwardly from said bottom, and a top connected with said side wall, said bottom, side wall and top forming a sealed chamber.

11. A hydraulic gas compressor comprising induction means for mixing air and water which include a plurality of downwardly tapering induction rings arranged one above another and forming between them a downwardly tapering mixing;passage, adjusting means for adjusting the cross sectional area of said passage comprising an induction head provided with a downwardly tapering bottom which projects into said mixing passage, and means for raising said bottom including upright bearing tubes connected with said bottom and each having a downwardly facing shoulder, rotatable adjusting posts journaled in said bearing tubes and each provided with an upwardly facing shoulder which engages with the downwardly facing shoulder of the respective bearing tube, and a plurality of screw nuts ing means interposed between said compression pipe and uptake pipe and consisting of a collar surrounding the compression pipe and provided with laterally projecting fins engaging the bore of said uptake pipe.

13. A hydraulic gas compressor comprising a water supply reservoir, elevated induction means for mixing air and water, pumping means for supplying water to said induction means from said reservoir, a compression pipe which receives mixed air and water from said induction means, a separating chamber which receives the mixed air and water from said compression pipe, and a return pipe which returns the water from said separatin chamber to said water supply reservoir and which has an upper section surrounding said compression pipe and a lower section which projects downwardly into said separating chamber voir, a sump for sediment arranged in the bottom of said separating chamber, and a sediment blowout pipe having its outlet arranged over said sump.

15. A hydraulic gas compressor comprising a water supply reservoir, elevated induction means for mixing air and water, pumping means for supplying water to said induction means from said reservoir, a separating tank, a compression pipe whereby mixed air and water is taken from the induction means and delivered into one end of said separating chamber, a return pipewhereby water is taken from the opposite end of said separatin chamber and delivered to said reservoir, and bafiie means arranged in said separating chamber between the outlet of said compression pipe and the inlet of said return pipe and adapted to prevent the water from forming a vortex While passing from said water inlet to the water outlet in the separating chamber. p

16. A hydraulic gas compressor comprising a from and having a flaring outlet arranged in the separating chamber for discharging the mixed air and water thereto, and a water return pipe connecting said separatin chamber and water supply reservoir. 3

GROVER C. JOHNSON.

JAMES W. HATHAWAY, SR. 

